Iran is no longer interested in buying MG Rover because key brand rights have already been sold, it has been claimed.
According to reports last week, the Iranian government had told its country's automotive manufacturers to join forces as part of a bid which could have led to Longbridge being reopened.
But an Iranian government minister has ruled out a rescue for MG Rover which went into administration with the loss of more than 5,000 jobs last month.
Es-haq Jahangiri, Minister of Industries and Mines, was quoted in Iranian newspapers as saying his country was not interested in the Birmingham-based company as China's state-owned car maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) now owned the intellectual rights. SAIC acquired rights to build cars based on Rover models.
Meanwhile, Russian carmaker RusPromAvto has distanced itself from the speculation that it wants to take over MG Rover.
